Rental Scammer - [email protected]

From: <[email protected]>
Date: Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 10:55 PM
Subject: Re: Immoweb - Interest in a "To rent" ad
To: Michelle Banks


Hi,


Thank you for your interest. As you can see I have available the apartment located in: Rue Franklin 151 - 1000 Bruxelles - Belgium, with 1 bedroom, 1 living room, 1 kitchen and 1 bathroom. I purchased this nice apartment 4 years ago when i moved to Belgium with my work (i am a construction engineer), but my company finished his projects in Belgium and now i am back in my country, United Kingdom and i live in Bristol. I renovated and bought new furniture, all appliance are new and i was thinking to reselling it, but due to the market blockage and the international crisis, it is impossible for me to sell it right now, so I've decided to rent it. Before we go any further I would like to know a little something about you, like how many persons you intend to live in the apartment, and for how long. I would be happy to rent it to somebody who likes keeping it clean and tidy. I can rent you the flat for 5 years, and, if after the 5 years you would like to stay more, then we can renew the contract. I can also rent it for short periods (1-2 months minimum). The rent for 1 month is 380 EUR including all utilities (electricity, wireless Internet, digital TV, 1 parking spot). You can use my furniture, or you can use your own. I have the option of sending all my furniture into storage if you want to bring your own (no extra costs). You can move in the apt in the same day when you receive the keys. The only problem is that I `m the only person who have the keys but I hope that we will find a compromise. Thank you for your interest and I will look forward to hearing from you soon.


Thank you,

This person asks for a deposit payment via Western Union, MoneyGram or bank transfer with a promise that you can have the keys to a property that does not belong to him.

Sounds safe. It's not!

At other times, he will ask for proof that you are able to pay the deposit and rent due to a string of time wasters.
This proof is in the form of a Western Union or MoneyGram payment to a lawyer,a friend or family member.

In either case, if payment is made and you give this person the details, they will collect the money.
You will not hear from them again.

All the details such as names, addresses, pictures etc. that the scammer uses in order to back up his story, are stolen from elsewhere.

If you are reading this because you are looking for property to rent, and you are in contact with this thief you are probably searching Craigslist, Gumtree or similar listing sites. If you receive any requests from 'Landlords' asking for some kind of payment before viewing, then it will also be a scam. Please forward the mail to me at the address in my signature line and I will investigate and list them if necessary.

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, but the problem is that I am already in United Kingdom. As I informed you, the price you will have to pay the first month rent of 320 EUR + 320 EUR deposit (640 EUR), with no additional taxes. I need from you one month rent plus deposit. I want to receive the money monthly in my bank account. I trust that there is no problem for you to send money to my bank account. The apartment is ready for you, you just need to receive the keys and the contract to check it, and see if you can accept it. Of course we will need some way to go through this agreement, to allow us ensure that we get what we are expecting. For in it, I have discovered how we could finish the deal securely and quickly, and in this way, you will receive the keys in less than 2 days, if you move quickly as well. An escrow rental company called PWS Real Estate, which corresponds to FedEx or UPS, offers this solution and will handle both payment and delivery of the keys.
I have found a procedure that will allow you to receive keys to it, and in this way, you may see it and decide if you want to live in the apartment or not, before I receive any payment. To start this transaction, I need your full name, address, city, postcode and phone number. I will also have to know the rental period and the day you want to move in, so I can put it in the contract. I will pay for the services performed by the agency, so there will not be any additional cost to you. In addition, if you rent another apartment right now, and you cannot move out immediately, we can come to an agreement as I have explained here, and consider it only an inspection and reservation.
I await your quick response, because there are other people who are interested in this possibility, and I need to know if I can count on having a contract with you.


Thank you